Describe what you do: I do freelance TV commercials and shows. I also write whatever people tell me to do. How will these skills help you win The Race? I am an amazing communicator. My years in TV and politics have made me great at dealing with difficult people.Three words to describe you: Smart, impatient and super-awesome.Favorite hobbies: Reading, eating and talking politics and religion with people.What famous person reminds you of yourself? Jessica Simpson, sadly. What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Marky Mark,maybe?What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Having the guts to start my life over from scratch.What scares you most about traveling? I have a weird fear of being abducted. That and crazy natural disasters.What excites you most about traveling? I like getting lost and finding street vendors. I love hanging out with new people even if I can’t communicate with them verbally.Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: We blame each other for everything. Neither one of us likes to take responsibility for our mistakes and we can justify anything. I want to address how we are sometimes mean to each other.Pet peeve about your teammate: He can be a jerk sometimes. Typically he’s very kind and patient, but sometimes he’s a grade “A” jerk. And he ends his sentences with prepositions.What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Rome! I’ve always wanted to see such an old city. It ticks me off that I was born in such a young city…our buildings aren’t that cool. What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I want to see the world with Ralph. We’ve known each other for a long time, but not very well. I know we rushed into this relationship, but I want to see how we work under horrible stress.

Describe what you do: I own and operate a bar outside of San Antonio.How will these skills help you win The Race? I am physically fit and dealing with “not so sober” adults gives me considerable patience (or lack of patience) to deal with the sometimes jackass contestants and “partner.”Three words to describe you: Clever, quick-witted and well-made (props to my mom!)Favorite hobbies: Cooking, reading and exercising. What famous person reminds you of yourself? The RockWhat famous person reminds you of your teammate? Audrey Hepburn – she’s a timeless beauty and captivating personality. What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Being a father to my daughter. What scares you most about traveling? Not wanting to come back home.What excites you most about traveling? Seeing new places, food and taking in other cultures.Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: We truly think the same and share the same brain, but we never allow each other to finish talking without both needing to be “alpha” so I’d really like for her to understand she’s not.Pet peeve about your teammate: The disaster that hurricane Vanessa leaves in her path – she’s really messy!What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Greece, for their history and culture.What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I hope to test our relationship on different levels of stress and communication planes. I want more than anything to become closer to my partner – and maybe “get lucky” in some off the wall locations.

San Antonio TV personality Vanessa Macias and her ex-boyfriend, a former Boerne bar owner, joined together to try and win the million-dollar prize on “Amazing Race.”

You can watch Macias, former “Great Day SA” correspondent, who may be best known as the curvaceous spokeswoman in World Car ads, and Ralph Kelley, a personal trainer who owned Buckles Country Bar in Boerne, compete against 10 other teams on the Emmy winner’s 20th season premiere at 7 p.m. Feb. 19 on CBS.

The S.A. pair’s connection was that they’re both divorced and dated each other. (They were still dating during the show’s taping, but broke up right after.)

Macias was naturally tight-lipped about the season’s outcome, adding she couldn’t comment on her participation. However, friends tell me she’s wanted to do the show for 10 years and that she and Ralph had loads of fun.

It’s the second big reality show to draw from San Antonio for its current season.

Macias, who recently split from her more high-profile husband, former KENS sportscaster Bob Ballou, was known as “Daring Vanessa” on the first season of “Great Day SA” because of her leaps into daredevil-style stories for the KENS morning show. So, she’s had some practice for the grueling globe-sprinting challenges on “Race.”

She also hosted S.A. TV travel show, “Vamos!,” produced by Luis Munoz for Fox affiliate KABB in late 2009. For that stint, she also dove into adventure — scuba-diving and swimming with giant stingrays, for instance — at various resorts in Mexico.

This season of “Race” will make first time visits to Paraguay, Azerbaijan and other exotic locations. Teams will travel through five continents, 22 cities and nearly 40,000 miles.

According to a CBS release, the racers will endure one of the most competitive courses ever, which includes skydiving in Argentina, training with the Masai warriors in Tanzania, racing through Africa’s “Garden of Eden,” putting taste buds to the test with one of Italy’s most popular cuisines and searching for King Ludwig’s quarters in the German castle that served as the inspiration for the one in “Sleeping Beauty.”

The teams, of course, are made up of twosomes that have had a prior relationship. This season’s pairs also include two border patrol agents, twins, last year’s winner of “Big Brother,” Rachel Reilly, and her fiancé and fellow Houseguest, Brendon Villegas